Shadows of the Wretched
by Nukem999
Summary: *NEW CH.6!* Picks up after "Things change". Terra is attacked at school by 3 demons called The Unholy Three who want to punish her for her past crimes. Terra must go to the Teen Titans, but will they want to help her, will Beast Boy?
1. Forgotten

**Shadows of the Wretched**

Hey it's me, the author here, just wanted to clear up a few things. I do not own the Teen Titans, Terra or any other DC comic character, you know the drill. The only characters I own are the Unholy Three. This story takes place after Season 5 more specifically after "Things change". I felt the episode was kind of pointless because nothing was resolved or explained regarding Terra and so I made this story to give some closure. I'm also NOT a Terra hater or flamer so please don't assume I dislike her because of what happens in the story. Its just part of the plot concept, that's all, enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 1: Forgotten

My name is Terra, and I have done horrible things……

_Slade was right; you don't have any friends……_

I have betrayed and attacked everyone who was once my friend……

_We TRUSTED you……_

One by one, I have destroyed the Teen Titans……

_You've always had a choice……_

My name is Terra, I have done horrible things……and I have absolutely no regrets.

RING!

The gasping voice of a blond haired girl suddenly awoke from a soundless slumber, the girl's horrified, baby blue eyes readjusted to the world of light she had been sleeping away from and rubbed her cranium. The girl was in a school, students and a single teacher surrounded her, and she was wearing a white shirt with a black tie and blue skirt, the uniform of the school. That ringing sound came from a bell, class was over. A red headed girl with small freckles on her cheeks blinked curiously at the blond girl.

The freckled girl asked "Hey Ashley, are you coming?"

The blond girl slowly nodded "Yeah, sorry about that, sort of spaced out there."

Ashley and the freckled girl exited the class and started to head to the lunchroom. Ashley remained silent, not uttering a cough, a whisper, or even the slightest, smallest sound. The freckled girl watched Ashley with concern and worry, curiously looking under her friend's stringy blond locks to look at her blue eyes.

The freckled girl frowned "Are you sad or something?"

Ashley blinked at her friend "Sad? What, come on Francine, I'm not sad. I've just had a lot on my mind lately."

Fran looked down and sighed "You've had a lot on your mind for a while now. I mean, that wasn't the first time you spaced out in class you know."

Ashley chuckled "Oh come on, History is the number one space out class on campus everyone knows that."

Fran sighed once more, "This has something to do with that weird green kid that bugged you doesn't it?"

Ashley suddenly stopped in her tracks and gasped, the white socks pulled up to her knees stood perfectly still on two petrified legs. The blond girl had flashes of memories, memories of that strange green kid named Beast boy who came to her school a while back. The boy was calling her by a different name, telling her about this whole other life she had, and that she had super powers too. Ashley clutched her schoolbooks to her chest.

"It's been two weeks since that green kid came and talked to you, ever since then you've changed Ashley. You've become more distant, you day dream more, and you keep acting like you're in a whole different world but your body is still here" Fran said nervously.

Ashley weakly laughed "I really don't know what you're talking about, your sounding almost as crazy as that green kid Fran."

Fran raised a curious red eyebrow "Is that so huh, now you're lumping me in with him?"

Suddenly Ashley became very nervous and concerned at her friend's sudden negative response, but Fran's freckled face curved into a playful smile as she burst into laughter. Ashley sighed and joined her friend with a hearty laugh as well. The two girls locked arm and arm and headed off to lunch. Strangely enough, no one seemed to have noticed a pair of meddling emerald green eyes spying on the two girls from outside the school windows, they vanished the instant Ashley and Fran left for the school cafeteria.

At the cafeteria, Ashley and Fran were sitting down at their usual table, half-cringing at the disgusting slop of what was supposed to be roast beef that rotted in their lunch trays. Fran remembered nearly dying of laughter when Ashley made a barf gag face at the lunch woman once the food was slopped into her dish. Ashley didn't seem to be very hungry; she twirled her spoon into her mashed potatoes and just stared at them blankly.

Fran scratched her freckled cheeks as she hummed "So tell me, what did that creepy green kid say to you anyway? He sure seemed eager to talk to you."

Ashley rolled her ice blue eyes "What difference does it make, can't we just forget about the green kid? That's all you ever ask about. Not my homework, not what boy I'm drooling at, it's always about the stinking green kid."

Fran smirked "Because he's weird and weird is the norm in this city, in case you haven't noticed. I mean I know you haven't lived here long but I'm sure you're well aware this city is famous for being attacked by ninja robots, blob monsters, and giant moths and stuff like that. You can't really talk about anything without it being a little weird, after all, weird is interesting."

Ashley crossed her bare arms cross her chest and frowned "Are you going to drop the subject or not?"

Fran thought about it for a minute and replied with a smug, smirking grin "Nope."

Ashley groaned and slapped her face in defeat "Fine you win."

Fran chuckled to her friend's submission "That's more like it. So come on then spill, what did freak boy have to talk to you about?"

Ashley replied "Actually it's Beast boy, or at least, that's what he said his name was. He told me I was this friend of his named Terra, some girl he knew and that he was part of a super hero team. I uh, uh don't know what their name was. Anyway, Beast boy confused me with this Terra person and thought I was her. He wanted me to come with him and join his team so I could fight crime and stuff. It was all really confusing and weird."

Fran leaned in closer and asked "Fight crime, you? How were you supposed to do that?"

Ashley sighed with boredom, clearly not wanting to talk about this as she rested her chin on her hands. A quick glare of Fran's, nagging green eyes forced Ashley to reconsider.

Ashley regretfully replied "He said I had some kind of super powers, that I could move rocks and Earth and stuff like that. I don't really know exactly anyway, I turned out most of it anyway."

The red headed girl shrugged as she munched on her fries "Well its sounds kind of cool, even if it is wrong. It'd make a great book actually."

Ashley shook her head "No, no, you're missing the point. It doesn't matter if his story was cool or not, the fact is he seriously believed I was this Terra person. He was sure of it and no matter what I said, nothing would change his mind. This whole other life Beast boy talked about, it was like another lifetime or another world. I don't know why he thinks I'm Terra or why he kept hounding me but either way it's not true."

Fran looked at Ashley, noticing her deep concern over this issue "Since we all know it's not true then why are you letting it get to you so much Ashley?"

Ashley sadly replied "Because I can't have some kid trying to drag me down into a fantasy life when I've got a perfectly good, normal, average life right here. All that capes and costumes stuff is for boys not for girls and certainly not for me."

Fran half grinned and nodded "Yeah I guess you're right, I just couldn't help but imagine what it would be like to be a REAL super hero. You know. Have powers, gadgets, secret head quarters, and all that stuff. It sounds so wonderful."

Uninterested in continuing the conversation about super heroes, Ashley stood up, took her tray to the garbage, and dumped her food out. Ashley continued to walk away without talking or looking back to her freckled friend. As Ashley headed to her next class, she clutched her schoolbooks to her chest tightly once more and simply close her saddened ice blue eyes again, thinking about what Fran just said.

"_I just couldn't help but imagine what it would be like to be a REAL super hero. You know. Have powers, gadgets, secret head quarters, and all that stuff. It sounds so wonderful."_

Ashley silently repeated the last word to herself "Wonderful……yeah right."

Outside the school windows, those emerald green eyes were staring into the school like a spying vulture, stalking its wounded prey and awaiting its inevitable death. However, that was not the case here as the watcher was making sure its subject was in perfect health. The watcher was Beast boy, staring endlessly at the girl he once believed to be Terra with a look of deep pain in his green eyes and faded smile.

"Oh Terra, why did you leave, why did you leave everyone, why did you leave me?" Beast boy silently asked.

BZZT!

The green-skinned superhero gasped as his communicator suddenly sparked to life, Beast boy ducked into the bushes and vanished from the school window. Ashley curiously looked to the source of that faint buzzing sound she heard just a second ago. The blond girl blinked as she looked closer at the windows but still she saw nothing. Ashley eventually shrugged it off and walked away, Beast boy sighed with relief behind the bush.

Beast boy spoke into his communicator "Dude, next time give me a little warning before you do that. I was on a mission and you almost made me crap my boxer shorts."

Robin's voice replied from the communicator "Mission? Beast boy what mission are you talking about? I thought you were supposed to be patrolling the alleyways at 5th and Jefferson Street."

Beast boy's green face suddenly went ice blue "Oh y-y-yeah, well you s-s-see a the m-m-mission I was t-t-talking about was r-r-really um I uh well I uh. It's a f-f-funny story actually."

Robin groaned over the communicator "Ugh never mind there's no time for that now, we've got a problem. Le Blanc has escaped from prison and he's heading towards the downtown area. We need you to help track him down."

Beast boy nodded "Yeah okay, I'll be there in like 5 minutes."

Robin answered "Good, see you then. Robin out."

The green Titan clicked off his communication device and sighed sadly once again, being painfully reminded how futile this obsession was. Even though it had been two long weeks Beast boy has remained vigilant in his constant watching over "Terra", even though he knows she doesn't know who he is, who the Titans are, and who she used to be.

"Although, considering all the messed up stuff that happened to her with Slade and the volcano blowing up, maybe its best she doesn't remember who she used to be. Even if that means I won't ever see Terra again" Beast boy said to himself.

Beast Boy changed into an eagle and flew away, soaring into the sky as he headed off to join up with Robin and the others to find Le Blanc. As the day eventually came to an end, Ashley went to her room and decided it would be best if she got a good night sleep. Since this was a private school, she had managed to secure a room on campus and it served as a school and a home for her. Ashley slipped into her pajamas and under her bed covers; she turned off the lights and closed her ice blue eyes to try to get some much-needed sleep.

Despite all the day dreaming Ashley had been doing, she has been inexplicably tired a lot more recently. Ashley was getting enough hours of sleep but it was the nightmares in fact that were keeping her up. Every time Ashley closed her eyes, she got another glimpse of those frightening images and those horrible sounds, and that creepy mysterious voice. Not even the warmth and security of her schoolroom offered Ashley any kind of comfort. Ashley clutched her blankets tightly and almost trembled as she tried to get some sleep.

Ashley whispered to herself "I don't know what's going on, or who this voice is that's in my head, but you need to know something, I am NOT who you think I am. I'm not this Terra person, my name is Ashley and I'm a student here. I don't know anything about Terra and I don't want to know either. I'm not the same girl, do you hear me? I'm not the same girl……I'm not."

* * *

To be continued…… 


	2. Revisited

**Revisited**

A thin, scared blond girl raced across the sea of shadows, her baby blue eyes shimmering like twinkling stars in the never-ending darkness.

_Trust……_

Splashing drops of cold water brushed up against her bare legs as her boots splashed into them.

_Friendship……_

The girl's blond hair flows as she looks behind her, fearing what dark forces were hunting her like some sort of wild animal. Fear compels her forward; she could feel her heart beat rapidly.

_Love……_

The dark cave ends with a massive black wall. The young girl squeaked in terror, frantically racing her brown-gloved hands along the towering wall of black darkness.

_Betrayal……_

"Ooooooooh Terra" a haunting voice called out.

The young girl turned around, shivering but curious, terrified but intrigued, her eyes dared to look upon her stalker.

FLASH!

A blinding sea of images raced across her mind. Friends, enemies, death……

"_I wanted to be this way"_

**LIAR!!!**

"_No more mercy"_

**WHORE!!!**

"_You think you know her"_

Terra wept "No stop it."

"_You know nothing"_

"Why are you doing this to me?" Terra asked.

"_She never even LIKED YOU"_

**TRAITOR!!!**

Ashley leapt up from her bed covers and screamed in horror "AHHHHHHH."

A few seconds passed and Ashley realized she was back in her bedroom, her chest breathing heavily as her heartbeat was dangerously through the roof. Ashley's face was covered with thick globs of sweat. It took a few minutes for the blond girl to look around the room and make sure that it was real and not another part of her dream. Ashley's nervous shaking hands gently grabbed the fluffy texture of her pillow, she squeezed it and held it closely to her chest, and Ashley sighed with relief while she closed her eyes.

Ashley silently gasped "Thank god it's over."

Or is it?

Much as Ashley wanted to like to think it was over, the girls terrified baby blue eyes said otherwise. Ever since Beast boy had come to talk to her nothing has been the same. Night after night, Ashley had received terrifying nightmares followed by horrible, terrifying, demonic sounding voices yelling these terrible names at her in her dreams. Each nightmare was more vivid and horrifying then the last one and it seemed it was only going to get worse.

Ashley frowned to herself "No, I'm not going to let this stop me, I refuse to. This is my life; this is my life now and forever. That other life is not mine……it will _never_ be my life."

Elsewhere in Jump City……

Robin and Cyborg clashed with battle sticks, the metal clanging of their sticks echoed loudly as the two Titans trained vigorously. The Titans had tried their best to locate Le Blanc yesterday but couldn't find him. The Titans knew he wasn't a serious threat without any super powers, but still, Robin felt it was best they kept their skills sharpened and strengthened just in case. Raven continued to medicate, her gray legs crossed as she hummed to herself, Starfire was also meditating, floating and humming to herself right alongside Raven, her eyes tightly shut.

During her meditation, Raven curiously opened one of her dark, night blue eyes to see Beast boy dropping his weights and heading towards the gym room's exit. Raven floated down and uncrossed her legs as she went after Beast boy.

Starfire curiously opened her green eyes and blinked "Uh Raven is everything all right?"

Raven nodded "I just got to do something real quick, keep concentrating Starfire; I'll be back in a minute."

The alien princess nodded and resumed her meditating. Raven followed Beast boy as he walked down the hallway, his eyes staring off into the abyss without saying a single word, not even a grunt or a sigh. Raven had sensed some emotional disturbances in Beast boy's spirit lately. The witch girl had also noticed Beast boy had been going out on "patrols" more frequently each day, and each time anyone tried to contact him, he sounded frantic and freaked out like he was afraid of being caught. Beast boy realized he was being followed and stopped in his tracks.

Beast boy sighed "You guys can train without me okay? I need some rest; I haven't been feeling well lately."

Raven replied "I may wear a hood over my face Beast boy but I can still see perfectly fine, you should know by now I can sense everything."

Beast frowned a little, turning his face to Raven as he sneered "Then why can't you sense I just want to be alone?"

Raven pulled back her hood and looked at BB directly, "If that's the case then why do you keep visiting Terra's school every day?"

The green-skinned Titan gasped as he looked at Raven with shock and fear, he should have known he couldn't have hidden this forever. Beast boy barely was able to hide Silkie from his friends. Beast boy sighed and hanged his head, green eyes staring dismally at his pink shoes.

"Have you told Robin and the others?" Beast boy bluntly asked.

"No, and I don't plan on telling them either" Raven said dryly as she crossed her arms.

"Then why are you telling me this?" Beast boy asked.

"Because you need to stop, this needs to stop, you're obsessing over her and its not healthy for you or Terra. She may be back in body but from what you say she's not back in mind and spirit and if that's the case, she probably won't ever come back. I know how it feels when you want to change something in your life and you can't. It's frustrating, it's scary and it can be downright miserable, but you're only going to make both your lives miserable if you keep this up" Raven said.

"I just can't believe Terra forgot everything about me, about everything we went through and did together" Beast boy said. A slight whimper in his sobbing voice.

"What you believe isn't the same as what is factual Beast boy, you either accept it or you don't, it's that simple" Raven said.

With that being said, Beast boy did what Raven suggested and simply accepted it. The Titan didn't want to accept it but he knows nothing comes good out of lying to yourself. Beast Boy sighed and hanged his arms down, accepting his defeat and depression once more. Raven half smiled and gently patted BB on the back, trying in her own way to make him feel better. As Beast boy and Raven entered the gym, they were surprised to see Starfire, Robin, and Cyborg all staring at them. It seems the other Titans were not so clueless about this incident after all.

Beast boy smiled happily at his friend's faces, feeling better knowing they were here to support him on this. The green Titan waved his hand and assured them he was all right.

Beast boy smiled "Thanks guys but I think I'm gonna be okay from now on."

Back at the school……

Ashley's ice-cold blue eyes winced and started to tear up, her face riddled with expressions of pain, suffering, and angst. The young girl jerked up from her pillow and flashed her sleeping eyes wide open again. Ashley must have fallen asleep; the last thing she remembered was listening to music in her room and laying down on her bed.

Ashley gasped "Wait a minute, this isn't my school."

The blond girl suddenly realized her bed was no longer in her room, Ashley frantically yanked her sheets closer to her face as she found her bed sitting in some kind of cave. It was as if someone had taken her bed out of her room, dragged it all the way to this cave, and dropped it off without waking her up.

Ashley nervously gulped "This is really getting weird, it better not be another one of Mike Mendlemen's stupid pranks."

Deciding she should go and look around, Ashley's snow-white sock feet pressed against the cave's rocky floor. The girl shivered as she felt chilly winds crawling up her thin, slender bare legs. The blue helm of her school skirt swayed from the winds as Ashley ventured into the deep, dark, and hauntingly familiar cave. The deeper Ashley got, the brighter the light at the end of the cavern got, and she started to hear a strange set of voices. The voices were strange, inhuman sounding, and yet, familiar. The voices were chanting some sort of magical ritual or spell.

Ashley couldn't understand any of the words. The words were certainly not English, and they didn't sound like any kind of foreign language she was studying or heard of at school. The nervous blond girl dreaded what she may find at the end of this cave and yet she felt compelled to look anyway. Ashley peered toward the center of the light and gasped at what she saw.

Ashley whispered "Oh my god."

There was a stone statue of her, it looked EXACTLY like her except with different clothes and her hands were up in the air, as if she was praising God. Below the statue was a plaque and in front of the plaque were three shadowy beings. One of them was tall, was of them was large and bulky, and the other was slender and curvy. All of the shadows wore thick, dark, ink black cloaks, making them look like some sort of Grim Reaper cult. The slender shadow's hands were pale gray, one hand was holding a fishnet of human skulls; the other held a large golden ring.

The tall shadow snickered "Finish the ritual my disciple."

The slender shadow replied, in a female voice "With pleasure master."

All three of the shadows started to hum and stomp their feet, the female shadow stood up tall in front of the statue of Ashley and began shaking the bag of skulls and golden ring. Ashley watched, petrified with fear and curiosity as she listened to this strange, bizarre magic spell.

"Kagish mall, kagish mall, paradeuce, paradeuce…

Tue ah aiya, ragna bah ragna bah…

Ocksetna, Ocksenta…

Luug sistah Malaga, UN bar Malaga, UN bar UN bar…

Hear me witches darker then dusk, bestow the power to me with trust…

Ghostly echoes obey my command; bring your presence to this land…

Redemption and darkness enwrap my soul; ring forth the bells of that which tolls…

See through my eyes this demon of sin, let her blood burn like fire, so shall it begin…

Masters of death and life hear my scream; return this mortal to flesh, let justice reign supreme…

REVIVA"

The statue was bathed in a burst of energetic light, Ashley screamed as she closed her eyes and heard a deafening crash as the statue exploded and vanished in the light's dominating glow. Ashley nervously forced herself to open her eyes and see what had happened to that statue of her. The blond girl however found herself staring at no statue at all, it was gone, vanished.

Ashley stuttered in terror, "This is n-n-not my life, its n-n-not."

The frightened girl was staring directly at the three shadows that enacted that weird ritual. The shadows were staring directly at her, staring right into her very soul with eyes burning with unbridled hatred and loathing. Ashley turned pale blue as the shadows raised their hands up, pointed directly at Ashley, and spoke to her in unison.

**LIAR!!!**

**WHORE!!!**

**TRAITOR!!!**

Ashley grabbed her blond hair and screamed at the top of her lungs, she sat up from her bed and gasped as she was sweating profusely.

"I'm in my room again" Ashley said with a deep breath of fear escaping her.

It appeared she had been dreaming once again. Ashley ran her hands all over her body, her arms, her legs, her feet, just making sure she was really there and all in one piece. The schoolgirl took a deep breath and wiped her nightshirt sleeve across her sweating brow. Ashley had never been so relieved to be inside a nice warm bed in her whole life, she felt so much better knowing it was just another bad dream.

"That was the worse dream yet, it felt so real and for a minute I thought I was really there inside that cave" Ashley said to herself.

The young girl got out of bed and slipped her bare feet into a pair of slippers her schoolmate, Drew Larson got her for her birthday once. Ashley knew Drew had a crush on her and she always liked having that kind of attention from a guy, even if she wasn't sure how she felt about him. Ashley headed to the bathroom to get a cup of water when she blinked and saw someone collapsing on the school grounds. Some person, outside on the campus ground dropped to the ground, the person had a huge, thick brown trench coat and didn't appear to be moving at all.

Ashley quickly ran outside and pushed open the doors, rushing to the person who was probably a homeless person or someone who had been hurt in an accident or something.

"Hey, are you all right?" Ashley asked, staring down at the weary traveler.

The being didn't say or do anything, not moving in the slightest. Ashley gently rocked the person's shoulder in an attempt to wake them up or see if he or she was alive.

"Hey do you need a hospital or something, are you sick or hurt?" Ashley asked once more.

Suddenly the trench coat person grabbed Ashley's arm and she gasped, the hand was tombstone gray and it appeared to be a glove of some kind. The being stood up and the coat dropped off. Ashley gasped in horror as she saw the man. The being had a black and gray metallic suit, gray gloves and boots, and a gray strap over a chest plate. The man had a dark, bronze colored mask split into two sections, one bronze the other brown. What was most terrifying about this mysterious masked man was the fact he had only one eye visible on the bronze half of his face.

"AH! Let go of me, please, let me go right now" Ashley pleaded.

"Ah my dear, dear, former apprentice. It's been too long. Months? Years? Time sure flies by when your living in a fantasy world, doesn't it Terra?" the masked man asked.

"What are you talking about?" Ashley angrily demanded.

"Ha, ha, come now. Don't tell me you've forgotten your old teacher, Slade" the man chuckled.

* * *

To be continued…… 


	3. Ghosts

**Ghosts**

The sight of the dark, bronze masked man sent a variety of cold-blooded chills down the young, thin trembling spine of the blond haired girl known as Ashley. The girl couldn't move her trembling bare legs a single inch. Terrified baby blue eyes of Ashley stared frightfully at the single, menacing eye Slade's masked face presented. The masked man chuckled as he dropped the raggedy cloak he disguised himself with to the ground.

Slade chuckled "My dear, dear apprentice. It's been so long hasn't it? I really wish I could say it's nice to see you again Terra, but then again……you were the one that killed me. I assure you that isn't something you get over easily my young friend."

Ashley nervously looked at the man "What are you talking about? W-w-w-who is Terra, my n-n-name is Ashley."

Slade laughed coldly at her remark "Oh were still playing that game now are we? Come now Terra, your green boyfriend isn't here to impress nor are your former friends here to judge. We both know who you really are."

Ashley shook her head, angrily insisting she was not Terra "Look, I already told you my name is Ashley. I don't know about any Titans, or apprentice, or super powers or anything like that. So just leave me the hell alone."

Once more, Slade laughed and rolled his single eye "Have it your way child. At this point, it is not my position to impose judgment; I think I'll leave that one to the professionals. I just came here to say goodbye and to enjoy _this_ before it's too late."

The masked man started to turn to leave when Ashley raised her nervous hand to call out to him. Slade smirked behind his metallic mask and turned to the blond girl, the curiosity and fear in her icy blue eyes was unmistakable. Ashley was very confused and very worried about what Slade meant.

Ashley asked "Wait a minute. What do you mean professionals, are you talking about someone coming here, is that what you mean?"

Slade mocked "Oh so now we do want to talk. A second ago, you were telling me to leave you alone."

The blond girl angrily scowled at the masked man "I don't have to take this from you; I don't even know who you are. All I want to know is what you were talking about with that stupid cryptic statement of yours."

Slade replied "I told you, I simply came here to enjoy, pure and simple."

Ashley growled and snapped "Enjoy WHAT? Quit talking in stupid riddles and tell me, what did you come here to enjoy?"

Slade coldly grinned, "Your death my former apprentice, your death. Tomorrow afternoon……you're going to die."

Ashley gasped and suddenly felt her face turn blue, the cold, unfeeling tone behind Slade's voice made her heart drop like a rock in the water. The girl immediately backed away from Slade and nervously held her arms forward in defense, as if preparing to block herself from an attack if Slade tried. The masked man simply laughed and waved his hand at her sudden need for self-preservation.

Slade explained, "All that schooling and you still never learned to listen, same old Terra. You haven't changed a bit. I told you that you're going to die tomorrow not now, besides apprentice, I never said your end was going to come at my hands."

Ashley slowly pulled her arms down and gulped hard "Then who, who is coming for me? Please, whoever you are just tell me who is coming for me."

Slade closed his eye as he replied "I know not of their names or their faces, I simply know they are seekers of a black justice, justice which you have tried so hard to avoid all your life. They will come and they will come without warning or mercy, and they will strike you down with a furious vengeance unlike anything you could ever imagine."

Ashley nervously asked "Black justice? So you mean there like good guys only bad, or demons or something?"

Slade coldly replied "They are monsters, murderers, sadists, cold hearted; unfeeling beings with no mercy and no heart……just like you."

Ashley angrily screamed out "NO, I am not like them, I am nothing like them or you or the Titans or anyone else. I'm just a normal kid, a kid who is going to school, going to graduate, get a job, be happy and have a normal life just like everyone else."

The masked man sneered at Terra's dreams "Do not putrefy both our minds with your hollowed out fantasies child, you're an ignorant little fool if you truly believe the filth that spews from your mouth or that you have any chance at all of having a normal life."

Ashley ran towards Slade and grabbed him by his metallic plated chest, her bare hands angrily clutching the towering, masked man with tears boiling in her blue eyes. Slade stared at Ashley with little care or concern over her sudden burst of anger and emotion.

Ashley coldly demanded "I am not who you say I am, I am not who Beast boy says I am, I am me, I am Ashley and Ashley alone. If you think I'm lying and you really don't care about me then why did you even bother to come here?"

The gray-gloved hands of Slade grabbed Ashley's by her wrists, the girl winced in pain as Slade crushed around her frail arms and caused her to cringe. Slade pressed his masked face right towards Ashley's terrified blue eyes.

Slade whispered "So I could watch you squirm and scream before they get here, they make bad people pay for all the bad things they have done, and as much as I enjoyed our time together apprentice, your betrayal robbed me of my life and forced me to endure humiliation and enslavement. They are going to come for me too, and before they do, I just wanted you to know how BAD it is going to hurt when they tear you apart, piece by piece, limb by limb."

Ashley gasped at Slade's words "If that's true, then you're already dead. You said they're coming tomorrow and that means after me they are going to get you too and soon."

Slade laughed Ashley's statement off "You really are a hopeless fool Terra, I'm already long gone."

Ashley stared blankly at Slade's statement. The young girl thought top herself, how can he be gone when he is standing right here holding her by her wrists? Slade wasn't making any sense.

Slade continued to taunt her "I hope you burn for what you did former apprentice, I hope they make you suffer and beg for your life while they rip the flesh from your bones."

Ashley started to sob and shake her head "No, stop it, be quiet."

Slade added "I hope you can scream for a long time because it's not going to be quick, oh no, it's going to be long……slow…..and _extremely_ painful."

Ashley screamed "SHUT UP."

Finally having enough of Slade's barbaric insults, Ashley ripped her arms free of the mad man's iron grip and shoved him away from her. Slade toppled back off the school grounds and past the gate, into the street. The masked man turned to the side and gasped as a bright light engulfed his body. Ashley closed her eyes and gasped.

HONK!

CRASH!

A truck smashed into Slade and crushed him into pieces; Ashley thought she was going to be sick; she couldn't bear to look. Suddenly a strange, laughing voice could be heard and Ashley was forced to open her eyes to see what it was.

"Oh my god" Ashley gasped.

Slade's head rolled right towards Ashley's feet, sparks and wires sputtering out of the busted metallic eye socket and neckline. It was only a robot. Ashley looked over the street and saw dozens of metal chips, wires, and scattered robot parts. Ashley finally understood what Slade meant when he said he was long gone. Slade must have sent the robot after he left Jump City when Trigon was defeated, he could be anywhere in the world now and the robot was simply sent to warn her of what's to come.

"This isn't real, this isn't real, it can't be" Ashley nervously said to herself.

The robotic head of Slade continued to stare at Ashley, laughing and mocking her even as its batteries began to die out.

"Rest in fear my former apprentice, for tomorrow you're going to die, you're going to die a horrible, agonizing death. Mark my words they will come for you. They will come for you and drag you screaming into the gates of Hell……where you and I belong……HA, HA, HA, HA" Slade's severed head said.

Ashley screamed and smashed her foot into the head, destroying the laughing robot and silencing that horrible laugh finally. Tears spilled down Ashley's cheeks as she panted and closed her eyes.

"It wasn't real, it was just a lie, it was all a lie" Ashley told herself as she returned back to bed for the night.

The next day……

Beast boy hammered his green ape fists into the punching bag, the shape shifter was working hard and fast against the red sand bag. Starfire and Robin watched with concern and sorrow, watching their fellow Titan work himself into such a violent stage. Beast boy had been training vigorously ever since Raven convinced him to stop watching after Terra. Though BB knew deep down Raven was right, his pain had not been eased in the slightest. Robin and Starfire continued to watch Beast boy train, just watch and stare.

The pain was so clear in BB's green face, even in the form of a gorilla. Beast boy suddenly changed back to normal and wiped his brow clean of sweat before exiting the weight room. Starfire and Robin looked to each other nervously.

Robin sighed "He's been like this since yesterday, and I'm afraid it doesn't look like he's getting any better."

Starfire nodded "Agreed, Beast boy's dealing with the Brotherhood of Evil kept his mind distracted for so long, to find Terra back like this is most saddening."

"I know this is really hard on him Starfire but we can't let this go on. If this keeps up, he will be in no condition to help us when we need it. I think it would be best if I go talk to him about it directly" Robin said firmly.

"Am I correct in assuming this is why you sent only Raven and Cyborg to search for the Le Blanc?" Starfire asked curiously.

Robin nodded in reply "The sad fact is Terra isn't going to be coming back, at least not in the way Beast boy wants her to. Whether she really does have amnesia or is just pretending to have it, one way or the other, Terra doesn't want to be found."

"But hearing that fills my stomach with such sadness and unpleasant swirling. Terra was not just Beast boy's friend but also all of ours, she hurt us all very deeply when she did the betraying and attacking of us. I do not think even I can feel the happiness again knowing Terra is inflicting the Reckmas upon us" Starfire said, with a sad sob in her voice.

The boy wonder listened to Starfire and felt awful about this, but as always in his life, duty comes first. Starfire watched as Robin gathered up his things and prepared to go talk to Beast boy.

"No wait" Starfire pleaded.

Robin gasped as he felt Starfire's arms warmly wrap around his green waist. The Titan leader looked down and saw Starfire's emerald eyes, pleading with eyes of innocence for him not to go.

"Starfire please, I've got to talk to Beast boy. I know this must be hard for him but we are still the Teen Titans and we have to stick together. He'll be fine after I talk to him" Robin said rather confidently.

The red headed alien whimpered as she shook her head.

"You do not understand" Starfire said.

"What do you mean?" Robin said as he turned around, stopping himself before heading off to find Beast boy.

"I am fearful you do not truly understand just how truly difficult this situation is for Beast boy. It is not something that will be fine, and it is not something that can be settled with a talk. I know how Beast boy feels; I know how strong his feelings are for Terra. They are just like……just like mine are……for you" Starfire said.

"Starfire" Robin said with a deeply moved look on his face.

Starfire started to cry "Even though we are still the Teen Titans, every mission I worry about you. I worry you will get hurt, or be captured, or have a black garglugian run across your path, or something worse. I worry I will not smell that nice gel of hair you wear and that I will not feel the warm hugs you give me or……or……and just thinking about how Beast boy can never experience those things anymore with Terra, it makes me feel so."

Starfire was cut off as she felt the sudden warm embrace of Robin, wrapping his muscular arms around her and cradling the alien princess like she were a child. The sobbing red head simply buried her face into Robin's red vest. Starfire felt so safe and warm she didn't care if she ever left this wonderful moment in her lover's arms.

"I'm sorry I didn't understand" Robin whispered into Starfire's ear, gently brushing her red hair away from it.

"It is quite all right, you understand now, that is all that matters" Starfire said with a growing smile as she wiped her tears away.

"I'm going to contact Raven and Cyborg, see if they found Le Blanc yet" Robin said as he smiled alongside Starfire.

"So does this mean you will not give Beast boy the talking to?" Starfire asked.

Robin simply smirked and winked to her through his black and white mask, he flipped open his communicator and began to contact his fellow Titans. Beast boy sighed as he sat in his room and stared at the steel heart shaped box he gave Terra as a present; just staring at his own, saddened, sorrow filled face in the box's reflection.

Back at school……

"Now if we move 60 meters into this direction, while the train from Steel city is traveling at 80 miles an hour, at what time and location will the train arrive at the station?" the female teacher said.

Ashley yawned and lazily scribbled her pencil into her notebook, half of her mind focusing on the equation and the other swimming off somewhere aimlessly. Despite the warning from Slade and those horrible nightmares, Ashley has put them behind her and ignored them.

"Stupid dreams, one eyed psychos and green kids, the heck with all of them. I got enough problems trying to remember when the next test it, the last thing I need is all this garbage about vigilante comic book junk" Ashley thought to herself.

Ashley's curious blue eyes looked over to Fran who was oddly flailing her arms up in the air like a frantic animal, pointing and blinking to Ashley. The blond girl stared at her blankly and found herself lost in Fran's weird signals.

"What are you doing, having a seizure?" Ashley silently asked.

"Miss Romaine was trying to signal you before I got to ask you the question Miss Ashley" the teacher said firmly.

Ashley gasped as she suddenly found the teacher's face staring right at hers, dark, black bun styled hair shimmering from above her black rim glasses. The teacher's ink blue dress swayed about her middle-aged figure as she angrily tapped her white shoe at the foot of Ashley's desk. The nervous blond girl smiled weakly at her agitated teacher.

"Oh yeah the question, well you see uh, I don't suppose I can take a pass?" Ashley said with a light chuckle.

BOOM!

A sudden deafening explosion lit the classroom up like a fireball. Ashley gasped as the teacher was on the ground, covered in dark soot along with half the class, lying on the tile floor amongst smashed desks and chairs. Ashley gasped as she saw Francine among the victims. The blond girl ran to her friend's aid and heard Fran cough, Ashley was so relieved to see Fran was alive.

"Oh my god Fran, Drew, Mike, Mrs. Becket, are you guys all right?" Ashley frantically asked.

Before Ashley could make out a response or find some help, she suddenly saw the source of the explosion. There was a loud, thumping sound like dinosaur footprints, stomping closer and closer to her. A shadowy figure seemed to bleed out from the dust of the exploding classroom. The figure was large, huge in fact. The man's body was bulked out with gigantic muscles, bare forearms were dark blue skinned and lined with thick veins. There was a black hangman's mask over his face and his neck, he wore thick black boots.

Around the man's neck was a hangman's rope like noose, while wearing a long, brown scarecrow style hat. The sleeveless body suit shirt on the man's chest was pitch black, while his pants were a darker shade of camouflage brown. Black, golden knuckle embedded gloves adorned the brute's hands as he carried with him a colossal axe of unimaginable proportions. The axe was twisted, large, and gleaming with brightly polished chrome steel, it looked sharp enough to slice anything into numerous pieces.

Ashley felt her white sock knees knocking together as the sight of this beastly man with the battle-axe sent shivers down her spine. The hulking, hangman stretched out a muscular forearm and pointed directly at the blond schoolchild.

"You" the huge, beastly man said.

"M-m-m-m-m-me, what about me? My name is Ashley and you are?" Ashley asked, practically turning blue in the face.

"LIAR" the huge man screamed.

Ashley gasped, that voice and that phrase, it was identical to the ones in her nightmares. The girl turned and ran, screaming her head off as the monstrous ogre like man was raising his enormous axe up into the air. The giant man hurled the axe and Ashley dropped to her feet and tucked her blond head down tightly.

WHOOSH!

The colossal axe smashed through the wall of the classroom, shattering the room into pieces and even busting into another classroom next door. More students screamed and the teacher nearly wet his pants at sight of the barbarian with the black hood and hangman's noose. Ashley got back up and kicked off her black school shoes, hoping to get better running advantage without those painful things. Ashley burst past the frightened next-door teacher and ran out into the hallway, running faster and faster.

"If I can just make it to my room, I can grab my stuff before that nutcase finds me. Soon as this blows over, I'll be back, the school will be repaired and I'll……OH CRAP" Ashley thought to herself.

The terrified girl stopped dead in her tracks, for at the end of the hallway she reached, a second shadowy figure was waiting for her, different from the hulking ogre with the axe. This shadow was a teenage girl with a silvery cloak. The cloak had a dark, shimmering look to it much like Raven's, it covered her head and her black/green striped colored long hair. The girl's skin was abnormally pale, more disturbing and ghost like then Raven's complexion. Large black circles rounded around the girl's neon green glowing eyes.

The mysterious female also wore a dark, tribal voodoo like necklace around her neck. Golden bracelets of the same voodoo like design were around the girl's wrists. At the base of the silvery cloak, an open portion to reveal the girl's long bare legs, each one lined with neon green colored mystic tattoo wordings. Her bare feet slid across the ground with more bracelets around her pale ankles. Just like before, the shadowy girl raised a hand up and pointed directly to Ashley.

"WHORE" the shadowy girl screamed.

"Who are you, what do you want from me? Who do you think I am?" Ashley cried out.

Suddenly the large man with the axe and black hood appeared right behind Ashley; she gasped and turned around to look. Both the man and the girl pointed directly at Ashley.

"TRAITOR" the shadowy figures said in unison.

* * *

To be continued…… 


	4. My name is Terra

**My name is Terra**

_My name is Terra……_

_And I have done terrible things……_

_I was born with a great gift and a terrible curse at the same time. All my life I have tried to use my powers for good or for evil……_

_I have made friends that became enemies, and enemies that became friends, leaving my distinction between right and wrong forever blurred……_

_No matter what I do or whom I am with, people end up getting hurt, including me……_

_Robin once told me, the line between good and evil is supposed to be clear, but it's not, and now more than ever……I fear it never will be again……_

Ashley gulped hard as she felt the stinging trickle of hot sweat running down her thin, trembling soft cheeks. The two dark, shadowy strangers trapped her with no way out and no hope of getting past them. The thick, rapid thumping of Ashley's heartbeat grew louder and faster as she took one look at the hulking ogre with the hangman's noose and the colossal axe. A sick smile painted the face of the dark eyed, tombstone colored witch girl.

"At last, we finally found you; our lost little rat has come home to us. So good to see you in good health though I have a feeling that's going to change soon" the witch girl cackled.

"What do you guys want with me? J-j-j-just leave me alone, I don't have any money or anything of value" Ashley said nervously, trying to discourage them.

"Shut your trap you stupid WHORE! You know damn well we came here for that worthless, disgusting, wretched existence you call a life. Your whiny baby sounds won't change our minds," the axe man said bitterly.

The witch and the axe man started to slowly walk closer to Ashley, she gasped as she felt their stomping feet and prying eyes storm closer and closer. The blond girl looked around for someone to help or some kind of available exit but there was none. Ashley was completely trapped.

"You guys better back off or else (gulp) the police will" Ashley nervously started to say.

The shadowy strangers suddenly burst with dark, maniacal laughter at mentioning of the police. It seemed clear to the frightened young schoolchild that these beings certainly did not fear the possibility of being shot or arrested by the police, which means they couldn't be human.

"How cute, the traitor of humanity wishes to speak of justice at the hands of such weak mortal authority figures. It's almost laughable coming from someone like you" the witch said.

"You really are a true blond if you think those fat ass, blue suited bozos in badges could even stand a chance against people like us. Those tools are merely the instruments of justice, where as we in fact, are living extensions of justice itself. In truth, we _are _justice" the ogre man said proudly.

Suddenly Ashley tried to make a break towards the exit door, the witch girl raised a dark gray hand and large, man sized snakes made entirely out of purple and green energy appeared in front of the doors. Ashley screamed and quickly backed away at the snapping fangs of the energy snake. The gleaming shine off the axe man's blade became brighter and brighter as he got closer and closer.

"Oh god please just leave me alone. I never did anything to you or anyone at all, I am not who you think I am. My name is Ashley, do you hear me? ASHLEY" the blond girl begged.

"We've already played this game; we all know who you really are Terra. There is no mistaking a cold hearted sinner like you" the witch said with a cold sneer.

Ashley grabbed her blond locks and started to scream, she angrily sat down on the floor and huddled her arms around her head. The witch and axe man watched as Ashley screamed in defiance to their accusations, Ashley refused to accept their words. Ashley's horrified blue eyes opened briefly just in time to see the ogre man raised his gigantic axe high above his head.

"If you will not face reality, then you shall face judgment. See you in Hell, traitor" the monstrous man shouted as he swung the blade.

"NOOOOO" Ashley screamed with all her might.

KABOOM!

A colossal burst of yellow energy waves and exploding rocks engulfed the cornered off hallway and swallowed both strangers and Ashley in a cloud of fractured stones and rock dust. Minutes passed and eventually the rock-laced fog began to fade away and the witch and axe man slowly regained their sight. A large chunk of stone was missing from the spot where Ashley was, and the ceiling to the school seemed to have been blown off to make a rather large hole. The witch and axe man both looked at each other and simply smiled.

"I gotta hurry, I gotta move fast, just the bare essentials," Ashley mumbled to herself.

The blond, frightened young girl was rapidly stuffing various items into a small bag. Ashley had escaped her attackers by lifting a chunk of stone from the ground, smashing it through the roof, and then flying above school grounds to escape. However, Ashley made a small pit stop to her room and gathered up her things. The blue eyed, sad stricken girl stared at her school uniform held tightly in her brown-gloved hands.

"Why? Why does this keep happening to me?" Ashley asked herself.

The girl placed the uniform into her bag and closed it, wearing a black T-shirt with a yellow T on it, brown boots and gloves, and pale yellow shorts. These clothes were a painful reminder of the truth that Ashley had tried so hard to deny.

"Ashley is dead…Terra is all that remains now" the girl sobbed to herself.

Suddenly the left side of Terra's room exploded as a giant, roaring, flaming green skull smashed through the wall and lunged at Terra. The earthmover screamed as the skull exploded and sent her spinning into the air. 

"UGH" Terra grunted.

The ground hit Terra fast and hard, she winced and felt a stinging red mark scraped across her chin as she gently rubbed it. Terra stood up on wobbly bare skinned legs, looking for the source of that green skull, though already having an idea of where it came from. The axe man and the witch emerged from the explosive smoke circling Terra's shattered room. Terra sighed sadly, as she saw her bag had cracked open during the blast, scattering all her mementos everywhere.

"Leaving so soon, and without saying goodbye? How rude" the witch said mockingly.

Terra raised her brown-gloved hands in defense, as if to show the two shadowy figures she is serious. The girl cringed with disgust as she saw the blood red eyes of the hooded axe man run up and down her body as if checking her out. The hulking axe maniac laughed.

"Interesting outfit choice, especially for someone who claims she's just an ordinary school student named Ashley. Isn't that right……Terra?" the axe man asked coldly.

After blasting a heap of stone from the Earth to make an escape route, Terra knew she could no longer hide her secret. Terra had lied about everything, the name, the lack of powers, the amnesia, not knowing Beast boy, everything. Everything Terra worked so hard to hide had been exposed by the violent and vulgar demons that seemed willing to follow Terra to the ends of the Earth to punish her. 

"Why can't you just let me live in peace? Huh? Why can't everyone just leave me the Hell alone?" Terra screamed with yellow eyes.

The former Titan roared as her hands lifted up a boulder from the ground and used her powers to shape it into a colossal, stone fist. Terra hurled the stone fist at her attackers who remained as the object approached them. The axe man reared back one of his bulging, vein-laced forearms and smashed it into the stone fist. Terra was horrified to see the man demolish her stone fist with a single barehanded punch. The terror and fear sunk deep into Terra's frightened blue eyes.

"Because you don't deserve it you back stabbing BITCH," the axe man replied.

The witch girl flashed her eyes into a toxic neon green color, her pale hands waved about mystically as a strange green aura circulated around her twisted body. The ground below Terra burst with magical energy snakes just like from before. Terra screamed as the snakes wrapped around her legs, they then crawled up her chest and snared her arms and neck as well. The snakes began to forcefully drag Terra into the ground despite her screaming and struggling.

"Since you love the Earth so much, we figured it would make a most suitable coffin for you" the witch chuckled softly.

The black hooded man with the bulging, gigantic muscles smashed his spiked knuckles into the ground and uprooted a colossal boulder. Terra could do nothing but scream and squirm, helplessly bound by the burrowing magic snakes. The giant man hurled the stone at Terra, her screams echoing loudly until the boulder landed, crushing her completely. The shadowy witch and ogre looked at each other and chuckled coldly at Terra's demise.

"Justice has been served" the witch said.

"Man there's nothing more satisfying in this world then enjoying your own work, absolutely nothing. Can't wait to tell the boss about this one," the beastly man said.

"RAHHH" Terra suddenly screamed. 

Radiant yellow energy exploded from the rock crushing Terra, it engulfed the massive boulder and suddenly lifted it off the ground, revealing Terra underneath. Terra hurled the boulder right back at the hooded man and smashed it into his body like a bowling ball. The witch quickly prepared to cast a spell but Terra's gloved hands were quicker. A pair of enormous, car sized stone slabs erupted from the ground and suddenly clapped shut around the witch. Terra panted as she had wasted a great deal of energy, and she knew that both of them would be up again soon.

The former Titan lifted up a new slab of stone to escape on; her baby blue eyes looked to the sky before noticing someone watching her. Terra looked down below her and gasped at the watcher.

"Oh my gosh, Fran" Terra exclaimed. 

"Ashley? Is that, is that you?" Fran nervously asked.

The red haired girl dropped her school bag to the ground, Fran's freckled cheeks and eyes started to tremble with feelings unknown. Fran didn't understand what was going on. Ashley, Fran's best friend, her closest and most personal friend, was flying in the sky on a chunk of rock, in different clothes and fighting strange and horrible people. Fran regretted admitting it to herself, but now, she wonders if everything that Beast boy kid was saying was true after all.

"He was right wasn't he? That green kid that talked to you, he was right about everything wasn't he? Which means you've been lying to me all this time" Fran said hurtfully.

Terra simply closed her blue eyes and said nothing.

"Who are you, who are you really Ashley?" Fran asked.

Terra bit her lip and bitterly replied "I am your friend Fran, not 'was' your friend, not 'isn't' your friend, I AM your friend and that's all you need to know. You've been good to me and I thank you for that Fran, but I can't stay here anymore. As long as I am me, I won't be able to stay anywhere, goodbye."

Without another word, Terra floated off into the sky and headed for the heart of Jump City in direction of Titans Tower. Fran closed her eyes and felt the stinging chill of fresh tears dripping down her freckled cheeks. Suddenly two explosions erupted around the school site. One shattered the boulder under the muscular axe man, the other came from between the sandwich smashed stone slabs on top of the witch. The two shadowy figures remerged completely unharmed. The black masked man growled blood red eyes as he watched Terra fly into the city.

"I swear to all that is unholy when I get my hands on that brat, I'm gonna rip out her spine and use it as a toothbrush" the axe man angrily growled.

"Just relax all right? If we lose our heads we lose the traitor, and that is not something we can allow to happen. We'll track her down and finish the job before she gets any deeper into the city" the dark haired witch said.

"And just how the hell do we track her?" the axe man asked angrily.

The witch evilly replied "With these."

The pale, slender arms of the black and green haired witch swirled in motions as she summoned a trio of colossal neon green energy snakes from the ground. Each snake had a gruesome human skull for a head, surrounded by magical fire. The witch pointed forward and the snakes skyrocketed in the same direction, hunting after Terra with hopes of catching or killing her before she got any further away from them.

Meanwhile……

At Titans tower, Cyborg had flipped the alarm and called for all Titans to make it to the meeting room immediately. Robin, Starfire, Raven, and Beast boy all rushed to the room as quickly as possible.

"Cyborg, what's the emergency?" Robin asked.

Cyborg reached up and pointed to a picture of Jump City's map across the computer screen, several spots were highlighted with explosion markers. 

"We've got some really funky activity going on the outskirts of town man. Several explosions and high levels of unnatural geographical movement, like mini quakes or something" Cyborg said.

"Terra" Beast boy immediately blurted out.

Robin immediately placed a green-gloved hand on BB's shoulder, not wanting him to overreact and assume it's automatically Terra. 

"That's not all either; my scanners are picking up some kind of weird energy reading. It's like some sort of dark, death like magic energy and there's a huge clump of it heading towards the middle of the city" Cyborg said anxiously.

Raven frowned "I don't like the sound of this at all."

Robin quickly announced "Like it or not, we've got to check out these disturbances and find out if there related and if there a threat to this city or not. Since there's three of them, we'll split up. Cyborg, I want you to check out the explosions at that school. Raven and Starfire, see if you can find out what kind of magical force is heading for the city. Beast boy, you and I are going to follow up on these quakes."

"Look I'll be fine by myself; I can track anyone or anything with my enhanced sense of smell remember? Why don't you help Cyborg or" Beast boy pleaded.

"But you aren't fine, you haven't been fine, and I'm worried about you. If this quake thing does involve Terra then it's best if I stick with you to make sure nothing goes wrong" Robin said.

Beast boy immediately tried to protest but Robin cut him off by saying "that's an order", enough said. The green Titan didn't like this mistrust between him and Robin concerning Terra but maybe Robin was right. The Titans rushed to the T-Car and immediately split up to their designated search areas.

One hour later……

Robin spoke to the Titans through his communicator "Titans, report in. What have you guys found out about those disturbances?"

Raven and Starfire were flying over the city when Robin called; their curious eyes searched rooftops and sidewalks for any sign of the magical energy that was detected. Raven closed her eyes and continued to concentrate but could not find the energy.

"No luck yet, I've searched almost the entire city but I can't sense this new energy force. There is something faint I do sense but it's too early to see if it's related. Soon as we find out more we'll keep you posted" Raven said.

The Titans leader nodded and clicked over to Cyborg.

"Yo Robin, what's the word on the quakes? Is it BB's rock and rolling girlfriend or what?" Cyborg asked over the communicator.

"It is her, I am telling you, I can smell her all over the place" Beast boy shouted.

Robin frowned and watched as BB shifted into a green bloodhound and started sniffing the rock craters and cracks, sniffing around every area for Terra's scent. The spiky Titans leader simply shook his head with concern.

"We don't know for SURE yet Cyborg. We found a lot of cracked asphalt and upturned concrete but no sign as to who caused it, some of them even look like they were caused by some kind of explosion or destructive force. The good news is that they are fresh so we should be close. How are you doing on your end?" Robin asked.

"About the same as you, the whole school looks like someone was playing dodge ball with nukes or something. We got huge Earth fractures, cracked rooftops; even a couple rooms were completely flattened. Someone had a serious rumble down here and it looks like it got ugly" Cyborg said.

"I don't know what's going on but something tells me these events are all linked" Robin said.

"It gets weirder, I'm talking to one of the school kids here and she says she saw two dark looking weirdoes attacking her friend. They ripped up half the school chasing after her until she finally flew the coop on a giant floating rock she lifted from the ground, sound familiar?" Cyborg said.

"Terra" both Robin and BB said in unison. 

KABOOM!

Suddenly a colossal explosion rocked the building directly behind Beast boy and Robin; they turned around and gasped to see Terra fleeing on a flying rock slab from a huge energy hydra with flaming skull heads. Beast boy's eyes nearly burst from their sockets at this discovery. Robin quickly grabbed his communicator and flipped it open, immediately dialing the Titans.

"Starfire, Raven, Cyborg, regroup at my location immediately. You're not going to believe this, but Terra is here, she's back and she has her powers. She's being chased by some sort of monster and we've got to save her" Robin said firmly.

Within a heartbeat, Raven and Starfire floated right towards Robin's location and prepared to engage the snakes. Screeching tires squealed as Cyborg arrived in the T-car. The Titans quickly gathered in front of the skull snakes and prepared to battle as Terra soared right over them.

"Titans, GO!"

The Titans suddenly engaged in a heated battle with the monstrous, green skinned, magical snakes. Flaming skull jaws snapped at the flying alien Starfire, she easily dodged and fired back with her glaring green eye beams. Robin's grappling book snared around two of the snake's heads, he swung on them like a tree vine and unleashed a barrage of exploding birdarangs into the snake's skull faces. The super sized energy snakes roared at the pain crashing upon their skull heads and collapsed to the side of a building. The Titans pulled back as rubble dropped.

Cyborg and Robin took this chance to clear more civilians out of the way, while Beast boy frantically called out to Terra, wondering where she went.

"Beast boy, look out behind you," Raven shouted.

The green Titan looked behind him to see a huge tail come crashing into his body, Beast boy flew back and crashed right into a mailbox. Cyborg grabbed the very same snake that struck BB and grabbed it by the tail. The mechanical teen crushed his metallic digits across the snake's tail, but the magical beast simply roared and tossed his body off like a piece of trash. Cyborg's blue and white body crunched with a deafening steel crash as he dropped onto the front of his beloved T-car. The moment Cyborg stood up, he gasped in enraged horror at the dent in his car's hood.

Cyborg growled angrily at the monster's hideous flaming skulled face and blasted his blue colored sonic beam into the snake's face. The magical serpent shook it off and took another painful swipe and smash with his tail, smacking Cyborg like a fly with a single, scaly, swing. With Cyborg down, the skull serpent leaned down to finish the titanium teen off for good. Cyborg growled and pressed a button on his arm panel, the T-car revealed a jet booster that propelled the car forward, skyrocketing right into the skull snake's mouth and remaining in.

"You want it so badly, here, choke on it," Cyborg shouted hatefully.

The Teen Titan fired another sonic blast, this time at the fuel tank of the T-car, causing it to ignite and explode right in the skull face of the magical snake. Meanwhile, two of the three skull serpents trapped Raven, her blue cape fluttering in the fowl winds coming from the beast's disgusting breath.

"Azarath metreon zinthos" Raven said.

Raven's black magic energy engulfed a lineup of parked cars down on the streets, she hurled the cars at the snakes, watching them explode upon impact with the snakes flaming skull heads. One of the snakes lurched forward and charged its flaming jaws right towards Raven's petrified body. Suddenly a green pterodactyl appeared in front of Raven and shielded her with his huge wingspan, it was Beast boy. The snake's flaming breath was deflected from BB's dino wings, Beast boy then unshielded Raven and charged forward with both talon claws bared for battle.

The green prehistoric bird smashed both skull heads together with his green talons, leaving Raven wide open to blast both snakes with the full force of her magic and bind them together with a black, rope like energy blast. Starfire bravely shouted "HA" as she smashed her alien fists across the snake's skull faces and sent them crashing to the ground below.

"Awe yea baby now that is what I am talking about" Cyborg happily proclaimed.

The Titans looked up as BB suddenly shifted back to his normal form as he landed to the ground, Beast boy stared seriously at his Titan friends.

"I'm going after Terra, I think those snake things were after her and her alone" Beast boy said.

"In that case, were coming too. I know this is sensitive material Beast boy but we've got to find out what part she has to play in all of this" Robin said.

"Robin is right Beast boy, Terra was our friend and our enemy, before we can help her we must make sure she is not the wolf wearing clothes from the sheep" Starfire.

"Guys I'm going alone, there are things I need to talk to her about, alone" Beast boy said firmly.

Raven frowned rather bitterly "We've got things to discuss with her too, sorry about this but were going, end of story. Now let's hurry up and find Terra……we have a LOT of catching up to do."

* * *

To be continued…… 


	5. Penance

Hey, its Nukem here. Sorry about the long wait until the update, I've been very busy with other things plus popularity was down on this story so I took some extra time to try and make sure I corrected all my previous flaws with the story so far. I've worked very hard on getting this story right and I really feel I am making progress. Also, I do not own any Titans DC related chars but I DO OWN "The Unholy Three" who will be introduced in this chapter. So I hope you guys enjoy my hard work, and please, let me know what you like/don't like. The only way I can improve is with your guys help, thanks again, bye for now, enjoy!

* * *

**Penance**

The splintered diamond teardrop eyes of Terra watered like sapphire crystals, bleeding in the solar fires of the bright and scorching sun. Terra could feel her heart pound and scream like thunder within her black t-shirt chest. So much was happening, so much was changing, and everything in Terra's mind was being turned upside down by the strange and horrible beings that were following her. Terra briefly stopped and rested against a lamppost, her thin chest rising and falling rapidly.

_I don't know what to do; I don't know where to go. I can never go back to the school, and I can't go back to the Titans, they would never accept me, not even Beast boy, not after I lied about not knowing who he was. I've only got one choice left…_

Terra nodded and looked at the bag around her hip, examining the contents of food and clothes she had packed before she ran off. "I'll have to run again, I'll leave Jump City and start fresh…again. I really wish it didn't have to come to this again," Terra said to herself.

The young girl clamped her bag shut and turned to leave. Suddenly a pair of footsteps clicked in Terra's small peach colored ears, her eyes and voice shrank back with a cold sense of fear digging into her veins like nails in her wrists. Terra looked for the nearest store and spotted an alleyway; she quickly rushed towards the alley and dove into it, hiding as best she could. A few moments later, that hulking man with the axe and the weird looking witch girl emerged. Terra's lips opened for a gasp, but her tan brown gloves silenced her shrilled voice in a quick instant.

The very sight of those monstrous people brought cold, dark, deathly feelings to Terra's terrified heart, feeling it thump and beat wildly like a hummingbird's wings. The axe man and the witch girl looked around, their inhuman eyes searching for the thin frame of flesh and blond hair they longed to slice and dice with their demonic weaponry. Terra continued to wait quietly until eventually the two figures decided to leave, nervously Terra let out a small wisp of air from her trembling soft lips. After waiting another five minutes, Terra decided to leave the dark alleyway.

Terra's oak brown shoes clicked on the tombstone gray concrete, just as she heard another pair of shoes clicking right around the corner. The girl panicked and turned, swinging a fist into the mysterious stalker's face the moment he or she approached.

WHAM!

Beast boy grunted as he fell to the ground, rubbing his aching green cheek "OW that really hurt buddy. Why did you just…Terra?"

Upon seeing who struck him, Beast boy's eyes widened as if he just saw Trigon back from the unknown, Terra locked eyes with Beast boy before turning and running away. Beast boy called out to Terra but she refused to stop or turn back. Robin arrived just in time to see Beast boy on the ground and Terra rushing down the corner.

Robin removed a birdarang from his belt and dashed after Terra, "Don't worry I'll stop her Beast boy." Beast boy raised his hand out to Robin, trying to call him to stop. "Wait Robin, don't hurt her please, you don't need to use that."

The boy wonder had already turned the corner and his yellow cape was already vanishing from Beast boy's sight. Robin spotted Terra's bare legs pumping faster and faster, the Titan quickly unleashed his bird boomerang and watched as its wire cord wrapped around Terra's body. The young girl gasped as she dropped to the ground, arms and wrists bound by Robin's weapon.

Robin quickly held Terra to the ground with one green-gloved hand, while opening his communicator with the other. "Titans regroup and meet me at my coordinates. I have Terra, repeat, I have Terra, we'll figure out a new plan once you guys get here, Robin over" Robin said as he clicked off his communicator.

Beast boy rushed towards Robin's location, gasping as he saw Terra bound but thankful she was not hurt. The green Titan approached Robin, panting "Thank you for not hurting her Robin. Are you all right Terra ER I mean Ashley, are you okay?"

Terra jerked her eyes to Beast boy as she struggled against the ropes, "Please Beast boy, Robin you have got to cut me loose. There are two psychos after me and they're going to kill me if you don't let me go." Beast boy's eyes bulged as his throat dropped "Wait a minute…you know my name and, and Robin's too? Have you, have you always known our names?"

Dead silence returned the heartbroken and horrified face of the young green Teen titan, Terra didn't know what to say or even how to say it. Robin and Beast boy waited until the others arrived before they decided to release Terra. Beast boy did not like the idea of treating Terra like an enemy or a criminal by leaving her tied up, it pained him greatly, but he felt he had to. The shock that Terra may have been faking this memory loss brought a flood's worth of new sensations and thoughts into Beast boy's head. Eventually all the Titans arrived at the location.

Robin sliced off the grappling wire and allowed Terra to move and stand. At first, Raven and the others feared she might try to run or attack them, yet Beast boy remained unphased by Terra's release. Perhaps Beast boy trusted Terra would not run away from her only friends, or perhaps the depressing knowledge of Terra lying to him once again made him feel completely indifferent. Either way, Terra's facial response was one of gratitude and sad confusion.

Starfire approached Terra, her innocent leaf green eyes sparkling like shooting stars as she looked to Terra so child like. "Oh dear friend, it is so good to see you are unharmed and no longer within the shell of stone. We were all deep with the concern of you Terra," Starfire said.

Raven frowned, unable to escape her nagging, negative curiosity "Welcome back Terra. Forgive me if I don't welcome you back with arms wide open, but I have to say I'm pretty curious as to what's been happening with you lately."

Cyborg nodded, standing behind Raven "I'll say. First, you were a giant paperweight, and then BB says you're in school and have amnesia, now you know who we are and two seriously bad dudes are trying to mess you up. What's up with that?"

Terra sighed and gently rubbed her aching temples as she looked at the Titans, "I guess I should start from the beginning. I woke up in my flesh and blood about the time the Titans East came to Jump City. I don't know how I got free or why it happened all of the sudden but I was happy. Unfortunately, I didn't have anywhere to go. Police probably wouldn't trust me and you guys were away fighting the Brotherhood of evil so I went from building to building until I wound up on the porch of this boarding school. I was starving and like half-naked when they found me.

The headmaster of the school was kind and helped me get back on my feet. I was given new clothes, hot meals, a warm bed to sleep in, and he enrolled me under a new name. During my classes, I helped after school with chores and cleaning to help pay back the headmaster's kindness. I made many new friends, had a roof over my head, I even found time to be happy again. Happiness was something I thought I would never feel again."

As Terra continued her story, Beast boy politely asked her to stop as he looked to her with pleading purple eyes. The shape shifter asked with sincere sorrow "Then why did you lie to me? Why did you act as if you didn't know me? You know who I was all this time yet you pretended like you lost your memory."

Terra closed her eyes and sadly shook her head "It was the only way I could be safe. If you had known I remembered you, you would have tried to ask me back into the Titans, try to get me some help and make things like they used to be. I figured if I stayed as Ashley and not Terra, I could remain here and be happy and I wouldn't cause any more problems for you guys or the city. This was a chance for me to start over, start fresh and leave all of my past behind me."

As Terra said those final words, Raven pulled back her cloak and looked to Terra with her pale, gray face. "Only it didn't stay behind you, it came back, and it has something to do with those magical creatures we fought doesn't it?" Terra nodded in response to Raven's question, "Lately I've been having these dreams, nightmares actually, about these three weird guys who have been chasing me, calling me names. Today two of them appeared and now they are after me."

The Titans sat quietly and scratched their chins, delving deep into their thoughts. Everything that was going on had to be connected somehow. Robin figured these figures must have something to do with Terra being brought back to life, but it didn't make sense. If these beings were after Terra, why attack her months later, why not attack her when she was a statue, why now? Raven blinked as she sensed a strong flare in Beast boy's emotions, she saw the Titan growl and smash a large gorilla fist into the ground, cracking a large hole into it. Beast boy angrily growled.

Beast boy looked to Robin with a determined glare "It's Slade, it's got to be. He sent one of his look-a-like robots after me in the carnival where I went with Terra, it was after I first found out Terra was alive and in school."

Robin was immediately going to ask why Beast boy never mentioned this before, but Terra suddenly blurted out "No Slade isn't after me. He sent me one of his robots too, he warned me about these people that are chasing me."

KABOOM!

An epic explosion engulfed the Titans from behind, propelling them into the sky with a deafening supersonic shock wave. The blast created a lava colored ball of fire, igniting mountains worth of black smoke and scorched embers to dazzle and sparkle amongst the now frightened citizens of Jump City. Everyone cleared out as soon as the blast had struck, leaving only the Titans, coughing and wincing at the blinding sight of the ball of intense fire.

Cyborg slowly stood back onto his cybernetic legs, spitting out chunks of concrete. Cyborg groaned as he turned to face the source of the explosion, his teeth bitterly grinding "YO, I know you didn't just shoot us from behind now."

Raven and the others turned to see who Cyborg was shouting at, a pair of shimmering shadows started to appear in the fire. The Titans immediately went into defensive stances as the two shadowy beings came into full view. Terra immediately gasped once she spotted the figures, it was the hulking axe man and that creepy with girl from before.

The shimmering, pale faced witch chuckled as he adjusted her neon green and black hair "Fools, Slade isn't the one after Terra, WE are."

As the Titans lay ready and prepare for the oncoming battle they know is rapidly approaching, they remained firmly protective over the captive Terra. The blond girl gasped at sight of the two twisted figures that had been chasing her. Terra winced and struggled, trying to shake off her fear and recompose herself as Robin approached the two beings.

Robin pointed his green-gloved finger directly at the witch. "All right, start talking, who are you guys?" "And what do you want with Terra anyhow?" Beast boy added as he approached Robin from behind, purple eyes glaring at the shadowy strangers.

The witch and axe man looked to each other, smirked, and shrugged in agreement. The witch girl pointed to herself as she explained, "As you wish, I am known as…The Tragedy and my associate here is called…The Guillotine. Together, we serve the great and powerful will of vengeance and justice. We are loyal followers of the few, the proud, _the Unholy Three_, dedicated to annihilating every form and figure of evil no matter how or where we find it."

Beast boy curiously examined his gloved hands as he nervously asked, "Uh dudes, you look more like the Unholy two. I think you're missing a member."

Guillotine groaned as he annoyingly wiped his masked face with a huge glove, "That's because our master isn't here you dumbass." Beast boy groaned at the brute's rude sense of humor, he was further annoyed by Raven chuckling at his stupidity from behind, "Real smooth Beast boy."

The terrifying look of horror burned brightly in Terra's eyes, her limbs trembled as if her veins had been frozen solid, and her body was paralyzed with quivering fear from head to terrified toe. It was the sight of these monstrous people that instilled such incredible fear in the heart of the former Titan. Terra had horrible flashbacks of the nightmarish people who haunted her in her dreams; they seemed an awful lot like these people, both in voice and appearance. Guillotine and Tragedy took two steps forward and Terra took one-step back, her shoes nervously scuffing.

The Teen Titans quickly blocked off the figures from Terra, arming themselves with their weapons and super powers with their eyes dead locked on these two figures. The Guillotine extended a huge black gloved fist towards the Titans, as if opening up a hand of friendship to them. Robin knew better however, he knew all they wanted was to get their hands on Terra.

"I think it would be in your best interests to turn that little traitor over to us now, the master is quite impatient and hates to wait" Tragedy said with a smile towards Robin. The boy wonder removed his bo staff and angrily armed it towards Guillotine, "That's not going to happen pal." The axe man angrily removed his axe "And that WASN'T a request bird brat."

A booming voice suddenly echoed from the heavens above, "Oh come now my brethren. Surely I have taught you better than this."

Upon hearing that dark, mysterious, commanding voice, Guillotine and Tragedy immediately leaned on one knee and placed a hand over their chest. The Titans couldn't understand what had happened until they looked up and spotted the figure standing on top of a building, looming like a god passing judgment down on others.

Beast boy took a large and frightful swallow "Dudes, I think we just found out who number three is."

The dark young warriors kneeled upon their knees in acknowledgement of their master's arrival. Crackling thunder formed misshapen, gray colored storm clouds that loudly boomed across the sky, as if brought upon by the very presence of the dark leader of the demonic duo. The figure was slightly tall, young and teenaged in appearance. His hair was short but spiky, dark black, it dangled off the sides of his masked face. The mask was dark chrome silver and only covered over the eyes and the nose of the face, complete with open eyeholes and no coverings.

A dark, black, blue, and blood red crimson clothed suit adorned the body; both his shoulders had large, razor sharp spiked shoulder pads on. The spikes were on board like strips, cradling over the shoulder like a bent strap. On the chest of the figure, a metallic skull painted with dark gold bronze, and embedded with two blood red ruby eye diamonds in the steel sockets. Razor sharp steel gray claw gloves were over both of his hands. A ragged, dark, torn royal blue cape flowed vibrantly from behind his neck. The man's eyes seemed to constantly change different colors.

In addition, his pants were dark, black, blue, and blood red like the rest of him. The boots were metallic and the front toe had the imprint of a skull design. Guillotine and Tragedy remained perfectly still and refused to stand up or even look up, as their dark lord and master slowly approached them.

The dark master examined his razor sharp, metallic claws as he closed his eyes "Really now. This is most disappointing brethren, have you two learned nothing from all that I have blessed you with?"

"Our deepest apologies master" Tragedy and Guillotine said in unison, Raven was amazed at how powerful this guy's presence was, how those two obey him so completely without any questions or hesitations.

The being approached the Titans, his extended hand opening its clawed fingertips to the Titans. The masked man grinned, "If there's one thing you must never forget, it's that we always show courtesy to fellow crime fighters. It's very, very important. I mean after all, we are on the same side…and I do so love meeting fellow colleagues."

Robin ignored the hand of "friendship" from the dark man and simply frowned at him, "Who are you?" The dark man half frowned seeing Robin's refusal to shake hands, he slowly pulled it back as Guillotine and Tragedy stood up straight.

The master smiled devilishly to Robin's question "I am the lord, master, and founder of the Unholy Three. I am known and feared throughout existence as…Vengeance. I am revenge incarnate, the living pinnacle of true justice throughout the entire universe, and an eternal soldier in the battle against the scum and sinful who attempt to poison all worlds with their injustice."

Starfire blinked, a tad bashful as her confusion has caused her a bit of embarrassment. The alien girl curiously called out to Vengeance "Please, I am the confused, you say you are our colleagues, yet your friends wish to do the harm to us, why is that?"

Vengeance lightly laughed and brushed his dark hair from his face, casually replying "Oh yes, I do apologize for that. Guillotine and Tragedy were simply doing what I asked them to do and things clearly got out of hand. You see I had asked them to collect the traitor Terra so that she may be properly punished for her abominable crimes. You of all people know how dangerous she is, so if you please we thank you for holding onto her, we'll take it from here."

The clawed hand of Vengeance extended to the Titans once more, this time asking for Terra's hand instead of the one of friendship. Raven and Beast boy immediately blocked the terrified blond girl off from the three beings, arming their powers in preparation. Vengeance raised a curious eyebrow to the Titans sudden hostility.

Cyborg armed his sonic cannon and shook his head "Trust me pal, if you try to take her, you're not gonna like what happens next."

Vengeance crossed his forearms and sighed bitterly "Come now don't be unreasonable, we both want the same thing. The lives of the innocent can only be saved by TRUE justice, not the bureaucratic lies and corruption of the police force who foolishly incarcerate these monsters. Face it; prisons are an ineffective solution and an absolute waste of time. No matter how many times you put those crooks away, sooner or later, they will escape, it's a never ending battle my friends. These villains continue to corrupt and decay this city into a desolate war zone.

The revolving doors must be stopped from allowing any more sinners to continue their slimy existence; no longer can we rely on defective court systems that allow the rich and the wicked to weasel their way out of their responsibilities. You heroes know better than anyone else does that the law must be taken into your own hands in order to ensure absolute justice, which is where we come in. You, me, the Unholy Three, Titans, we all work for the same prize, the same goal".

Vengeance snapped his clawed fingers and Guillotine dropped something from his shoulder onto the ground. The Titans gasped, Starfire cried out in horror. It was the French burglar Le Blanc, dead, burnt and slashed at the throat. Vengeance had slaughtered him earlier and brought his body along when he arrived here. All the of the Titans were absolutely horrified at such an awful sight. Tears formed in Starfire's Irish green eyes, as Cyborg tightly clenched his metallic fist.

"Absolute justice" Vengeance said ruthlessly, Starfire nearly burst with tears as she cried out "No, how could you have done such a thing? Such is a thing is wrong, terribly, terribly wrong."

Raven's eyes glowed fiercely as she glared at Vengeance "That is unforgivable! That's not justice, that's an execution. Only a heartless monster would do something like that to a human being, you make me sick."

Robin eagerly and angrily backed Raven up "She's right, you're a murderer. How can you justify what you've done to this human being? It doesn't matter if he was a killer, a robber, or a rapist, he was still a living human, he was still a person, and now he's dead, dead because of YOU".

Vengeance frowned "I'm sorry to hear that, well, half sorry, you see I didn't come here for a fight, I came for Terra's head. She must be punished, and nothing is going to stop us from accomplishing that."

Guillotine raised his axe in preparation, and Tragedy flared up a powerful, neon green magical aura around her body. The Titans all flinched, nervously expecting the three warriors to attack them at any moment. Terra could feel her heartbeat rise faster and faster as she stood back.

The Tragedy hissed as she raised her arms, "I should warn you, our master has given us full permission to use whatever force necessary to snatch back that back stabbing slut of yours. You won't find any protection from that fellow colleagues stuff anymore."

Guillotine's knuckles cracked loudly under his mighty axe "You got that right. We've been trained especially to rip apart the scum sucking freaks you ass wipes don't have the balls to take out. You're defending one of the slimiest pieces of trash since Slade, and I've got no problems annihilating you little turd sniffing dick weeds in order to snap that blond tart's neck myself."

Beast boy cracked his own knuckles and boldly replied "Bring…it…on."

* * *

To be continued……


	6. Get to Know me

**Get to know me**

The Titans stand prepared firm and fierce with cracked knuckles and glaring eyes armed like gleaming pieces of razor sharp steel, their resolve and determination just as strong. The twisted and demonic shape of the monstrous vigilante demons known as the Unholy Three stood dauntingly over the Titans retreating shadow. Vengeance, Guillotine, Tragedy, stood as if they were darkness incarnate, eyes and faces like demonic spirits stirred from the deepest bowels of the darkest corners of the universe. Raven in particular felt especially disturbed by these three.

Guillotine's boots stomped like thunder, his eyes cold and devoid of any human compassion or emotion, lime staring into the beady eyes of a venom-spitting snake, just waiting to rip raw flesh with knife like fangs. The fear Raven felt in her heart was much greater then she let her fellow Titans see, she thought, the way these three walked it was as if they were from another world. These three beings walked…no…stalked the streets of Earth as if they were set apart from everyone on the planet.

They were far from ordinary and far from any of the heroes' brave, but ultimately young comprehensive minds.

Terra clung to Beast boy like a child clinging to a mother's leg, Beast boy looked to her and whispered softly "Don't worry Terra I promise we won't let them lay a finger on you." Robin's spiky haired head nodded as he added, "He's right Terra, no matter what's happened in the past, were here for you now and if they want you then they're going to have to go through all of us."

The blond Earthmover almost formed tears, her heart so deeply moved by her friend's words. Just hearing Beast boy and Robin say those words brought an indescribable sense of comfort and hope in Terra's shimmering eyes of soft, frosty blue.

The Unholy Three however felt no such emotions to this tender moment.

Vengeance raised a clawed hand in the air and shouted "Wait, dear brother, dear sister, I believe I will handle this matter myself." The thunderous voice of Vengeance sounded like the dark echo of some demonic lord from the netherworld, its booming trembles made Guillotine and Tragedy bow like unworthy slaves and close their eyes.

"As you wish master" the dark warriors said in unison, immediately obeying and respecting their master's wishes as their bodies slipped back into the shadow of their master like cowering serpents. Vengeance approached the Titans with claws and eyes bared for a battle of unimaginable savagery.

At least, that's what Vengeance's followers were expecting.

"As powerful as you five are, my brothers' posses' powers far beyond your earth bound brains comprehensions. Together at full strength, you may be capable of overpowering one of them…but together you stand no chance and against me well…you get the idea. So why don't we make this simple and just give me Terra and get back to doing what we all do best: justice" Vengeance said firmly, raising a dark and shadowy framed eyebrow to the Titans reactions.

Beast boy approached Vengeance and stood right in front of his masked face. The green changeling showed no signs of fear, caution or doubt, Terra's safety embodied a powerful drive of courage in his heart and she always has. Vengeance stared at BB with swirling eyes of mystic, melting pools churning various colors and shapes like dark, miniaturized kaleidoscopes shaped like eyes.

Beast boy tapped Vengeance's skull shaped chest plate, "If you really think anyone of us would hand Terra over to you then you really don't know us at all. Were not like you, none of us are." Vengeance smirked and lightly tapped his steel mask "I know a lot more then you realize."

The green Titan glared at Vengeance unconvinced and unimpressed by his statement.

Vengeance smirked as his eyes started to glow red "Okay then green bean, what do you say we start fresh and get properly acquainted? I'll start."

Atomic red energy beams suddenly shot out of Vengeance's eyes and somehow veered right past Beast boy, went around his body, and struck Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, and Raven together. The fire like red beams boiled bright red like the skin of a fiery devil or blood dripping from a slashed throat. The energy was so bright and sharp it like was a sword made out of fiery energy. A small red blast engulfed the four remaining Titans and in a flash they had disappeared.

Beast boy gasped and violently grabbed Vengeance by his shirt, "What did you do to my friends you monster?" Vengeance simply smiled "Nice trick eh? I learned it from this warlord from another planet but that's not important now." The Titan gasped as Vengeance's eyes started to glow bright red again, "I think it's time all of you got to know _the real me_."

ZAP!

The same energy beams and another explosive burst of tomato colored energy rays engulfed and evaporated Beast boy into thin air. Terra gasped as she was now left alone, standing on trembling knees like her whole body was about to quake and collapse into a thousand pieces. Now there was nothing standing in Vengeance's way from killing her.

Vengeance looked to his two followers and flashed his claws open, "I'm going to do a little soul searching with the Titans. I want you two to capture the traitor and bring her back to the cave alive. With no more distractions you shouldn't have any problem capturing her this time, unless you desire to suffer the consequences of failing me."

Tragedy's pale face nervously shook "N-n-no master, we swear that she will be yours the moment you return." Vengeance nodded and turned his back on Tragedy and Guillotine, they both bowed once more before Vengeance vanished in a snake shaped burst of purple smoke.

Suddenly two huge boulders the size of pickup trucks were hurled into the air like stone baseballs, Guillotine and Tragedy gasped as the colossal rocks landed on top of them. Terra panted as she slowly dropped her outstretched arms from hurling the two giant boulders.

"I'm through taking your guys crap, and I don't know what you did to my friends but I can promise you this isn't over, not by a long shot," Terra said as she hopped onto a floating rock disc and flew away from the scene.

Moments later, ghoulish looking forearms smashed through the rocks as if they were made of cardboard. The Guillotine and Tragedy emerged from the shattered rocks, covered with dust and dirt, but completely unharmed from the twin boulder attack.

Guillotine glared angrily behind his black hood as he clutched his mighty axe, "You got that right you blond rat, this isn't over…no this is merely the beginning."

* * *

Robin gasped as he found himself standing in Slade's old hideout, the same one that was destroyed by Slade's nano probe machine he used to force Robin into becoming his apprentice. Giant clock gears stood still as graves as Robin looked around the haunting home of his former foe.

Suddenly Vengeance appeared, sporting a sinister, sickening smile.

Robin quickly reached for his belt and weapons but was surprised to feel his green gloves grab at nothing but air, his weapons were gone. Without even saying anything, Robin growled at Vengeance knowing he was responsible for removing Robin's weapons. Robin raised his fists and approached Vengeance who raised a clawed hand to signal for him to stop.

"Calmness, calmness boy wonder. I merely removed your trinkets and toys so I could get a chance to talk to you. I'm sure you have plenty of questions about me like for starters, how can you be here when you know it was destroyed long ago" Vengeance said with a little wink.

Robin snarled "All I want to know is how many punches to the face it will take to shut you up. I'm sick of you running your mouth and spouting your Nazi like message of hate." Vengeance paced around Robin as he laughed "Nazi message? Please, your anger blinds you Robin. I am no fuehrer and I am certainly no monster, just someone who wants to talk, hero to hero."

"I don't want to hear your garbage anymore. I'm the only hero around here and right now, all I want to know is why you've brought me here so I can hurry up and get back home, after I take you down of course" Robin said, tightly clenching his shimmering jade colored rubber glove.

Vengeance's right clawed hand was raised to Robin's view, creating a powerful crystal colored energy like glow in the palm of his claws. Robin's masked eyes flexed curiously at the energy.

"I'm here to paint reality in a more truthful color, so I can clear your eyes and your mind from the blind ignorance you've been drowning in for some time. You claim I'm a monster yet I have followed the same path you have and used all of my powers to fight injustice where it breeds, showing no mercy for the wicked and the worthless."

"YOUR'E WRONG! All you do is spread death and destruction, you slaughter people like cattle and pass judgment on them like judge, jury, and executioner. I've done no such thing, neither have my friends. All we do is capture the criminals and put them back in jail so they can get their punishment, their _proper_ punishment."

"You mean like you did? Where was that so called proper punishment when you turned rogue, betrayed the Titans and worked for Slade as his apprentice? Stealing technology, destroying public property and nearly causing the death of your four friends."

"That was different, completely different! I was being forced into working for Slade; it's not something I chose."

"Yet you still broke the law, if you were truly devoted to justice you would have turned yourself over to the authorities after you were freed from Slave's control. What punishment did you receive? NONE. You received a pat on the back and a smile from your foolish friends, completely disregarding the sanctity of the law you five Titans claim to defend."

"I…you…that's not the same thing. Look, sometimes to fight injustice you have to fight against the law. We could never have stopped the likes of Brother Blood, Plasmus, and the Brotherhood of evil if we fought within the boundaries of the law. That is why we became super heroes."

"HA, that is precisely the same reason I do what I do."

"Were different, nothing alike. I'm not a murderer I don't take lives."

"Killing someone is against the law but so is taking the law into your own hands which is the very definition of what your little band of Teen Titans does on a daily basis. Both of our lives are not permitted under the eyes of the law yet we do it anyway because we know that it must be done. The police lack the courage to do what is necessary for justice, we do not."

"No stop, this isn't the same, were not the same, this is all just a big lie."

"Think about it Robin. Everything that you are is what I am; I do the same job with the same goals except that I have what it takes to finish the job. Civilization cannot survive in thriving chaos, punishment is needed to keep evil doers firmly in check and until we punish them with the power and wrath these scumbags so rightly deserve we cannot truly say that we are heroes. You broke the law twice, first as Red X then as Slade's apprentice, where was your punishment boy?"

Robin lunged at the masked demon and screamed as his green fist smashed into the ground, Vengeance disappeared and reappeared behind him.

Vengeance sported a sinister frown as he shook his head at Robin "The truth hurts, doesn't it BOY?"

Robin's mind raced with extreme confusion and boiling rage, the shame of his Red X costume was one of the most painful scars Robin has ever had to bare. The guilt of creating that costume to capture Slade and then someone stealing it was eating Robin up inside. Even if Robin didn't say it or show it, deep down he could feel it savagely eat away at his insides like a flesh eating virus, consuming every inch of his being second by second. Vengeance could see Robin's skin turn red as his uniform; he could feel the uncontrollable rage building up inside of the Titan.

Suddenly Robin leapt into the air and spun completely around as he launched another striking fist towards Vengeance. The masked killer smirked and leaned his head to the side, capturing Robin's fist with his claws and clutching it tightly as the two were forced to be face to face.

"Is that what makes you a hero, taking cheap shots at people's wounds and mocking them for their mistakes?

"You were the one who created those wounds Robin; I merely lifted the band aid off to show you that no matter how well you hide it, the truth will always come to the surface."

"I've tormented myself night after night for creating that horrible suit, I realized the mistake I made and I accepted it. You on the other hand are no hero; you're a monster who feels annihilation is the only way to solve anything. You pass judgments on people as if you were God, well I got news for you buddy, you're NOT God."

"These worthless pieces of garbage don't need to be judged by God, their actions speak for their soul's true nature. Your own soul speaks of obsession, anger, and relentless persecution. You've run the risk of turning into a monster yourself more times than you'd like to admit, and deep down I bet that disgusts you more than anything I could ever say or do to you."

"Shut up just shut the Hell up. You don't know me, you think you know me but all you know is pain and death."

"I wonder; how many times did you come close to just snapping and beating some crook's face into mush? How many times did you want to just scream and lash out at your friends, knowing they only see you as a villain just like Slade?"

"I am nothing like him and you and the Titans damn well know it."

"How long is it going to be until you're behind bars and you dream about snapping your girlfriend's lovely neck for locking you up?"

Inhuman screams roared from Robin as he exploded like a human volcano and blindly charged at Vengeance. Neon green colored energy sparked along Vengeance's chrome claws like snakes slithering through his fingers, they sparked with enormous amounts of energy and generated a toxic green colored glow. Robin was violently electrocuted by the thunderous blast of neon green energy from Vengeance's claws. The Titan groaned and collapsed to the ground, coughing up smoke.

Vengeance cracked his knuckles and laughed as he walked over Robin's back, "It's been fun Slade junior but there is much work to be done and little time to do it in. You see I have other appointments with your friends, some more…therapy sessions if you will and next I think there's a pretty little young thing with red hair waiting for me."

After hearing those words, Robin weakly turned and tried to grab Vengeance's cape as he began to leave. However, Vengeance vanished in a portal of mystical energy leaving Robin to groan and gasp as he laid there in pain, unable to stop him or do anything.

ZAP!

Starfire blinked as she suddenly found herself standing at the balcony of her bedroom back on Tamaran, the same balcony Robin climbed up to convince her not to marry Blackfire's arranged husband. The alien girl turned to the bottom of the balcony, green eyes hopeful to see her spiky haired knight in shining armor once again.

"Robin is that you?" Starfire asked as she leaned in close.

Steel claws answered the Titan girl, Starfire jumped from the balcony as Vengeance revealed his twisted, steel masked face. The man was covered with darkness and razor sharp chrome, the very sight of Vengeance caused Starfire to cringe with disgust-filled fear.

Vengeance smirked as he shrugged his shoulders and put on a sour face "Awe, what's wrong princess? Can't find you're knight in shining red spandex? You know, I bet it must be hard for a happy going little thing like you to not be with the man you drool over like a hungry dog."

Starfire growled at Vengeance and blasted her lime eye beams right at the masked monster's face, Vengeance laughed and leapt into the air to dodge the blasts. Vengeance was now hovering above the balcony as he looked down upon Starfire with a sinister snicker.

Starfire glared coldly at Vengeance "You do not do the DARING of speaking about my friend or my heart; they are not of your concern you sharpton." Vengeance burst into laughter upon hearing Starfire's broken English, he scratched his chin as he chuckled "I think you mean charlatan and what makes you think I'm such a thing? Please, enlighten me star princess."

Cold, clanking boots dropped down to the ground as Vengeance landed, staring eye to eye with Starfire.

"You claim to be a hero, act and talk as if we are friends or fellow heroes but this is not the truth. I can feel the hatred, the pain and the dark suffering you spread like the dreaded rash of Glyxgrifflebar. You know not of justice, truth, or anything that we Titans value and cherish. You wish to do bad things to those who do bad but you do it without the mercy. You are more like the Mad Mod or the Madame Mae Eye, you only use your gifts to hurt others…you are a villain."

"HA! So righteous and proud speaks the alien invader who once brought chaos and death to Jump City by attacking anyone who got in your way, just so you could avoid your barbaric alien masters who, not surprisingly, nearly wiped out this city just to find your troublesome behind."

"The Gordanians were horrible and mean; they made me a slave and would have done much harm to me and others in the future. I do feel the guilt of bringing them to this planet and causing others trouble, but if I had not, I would have never have met my wonderful friends and found such an incredible home."

"Ah yes, back to the Titans of course. They were after all the ones who defeated the Gordanians, modified their spaceship to become your headquarters, and even allowed you to live on planet Earth all by themselves. How generous and yet so ignorantly blind at the same time."

"Stop saying mean things about my friends! This blindness you speak of does not make any sense, I do not understand."

"Don't be such an infant, you've done nothing but bring trouble across the galaxy to the Titans doorstep. If you didn't drag us into your pitiful problems, the Earth would have never been bothered with the likes of Trogaar or Blackfire. All you've done is cause more problems by living on this planet, taking up space and wasting everyone's precious schedules with the shit you snow shovel into their faces."

"No, that is not true; my friends have helped me feel welcome here. The Earth is as much as my home as it is."

"You reek of denial princess, lying to yourself doesn't change a thing and it certainly doesn't change reality. Face it, you're a burden, a problem child, a free loader and an all around pain in the ass that does nothing but cause problems for everyone who is near you."

"No…this cannot be true…it cannot be…Robin always said I was welcome here."

"Robin this, Robin that, GET A CLUE YOU TWIT! Stop drowning your brain damaged dreams with the laughable notion that Robin would even dare think of you in a romantic light. He's a human being, you're an ignorant alien, you don't belong here and you damn well know it! No one wants you, no one loves you, and no one ever will until you go back to the deathly black void of outer space and rot in solitude amongst the stars where you belong you stupid child."

Hatred roared in Starfire's once gentle heart as she lunged at her masked opponent, eyes and fists flaring with neon green energy charges. Starfire launched a charged fist right at Vengeance's face but he quickly grabbed it with one of his clawed hands and crushed her fingers like pretzels.

Starfire cried out and dropped to one knee, "You speak of the lies that is all you speak of" tears started to fill up in her eyes as she wept, "This cannot be true, Robin is most precious to me."

Vengeance laughed down at Starfire, "Pretty dreams little girl but that's all they are, pretty dreams. You long to feel loved because you are alone on this planet and with the exception of your sister, not a single loved one or friend from your home planet has dare come here. Don't you find that just a little bit strange?"

Starfire looked up to Vengeance with a spiteful glare, not wanting to listen to this.

Vengeance crushed Starfire down as he continued "No calls, no letters, no messengers or anything like that. You've spent countless days here on Earth sending reports to your home planet and yet the only one who gave a damn enough to visit was your sister, and that was only because she was an outlaw and needed you to take her place in jail."

Green eyes widened in Starfire's trembling features, hating but unable to deny the painful words of truth Vengeance spoke about. The alien princess's glowing hands slowly died down.

Vengeance laughed and nodded "I knew you'd be able to see the big picture." The dark man crossed his arms over his chest and tapped his claws on his chest plate. "As powerful as you are, your helpless when it comes to solitary life, you're worthless without friends or team mates backing you up. You can't even stand and defend yourself without the Titans. So Starfire, answer me this question."

Starfire weakly looked up as Vengeance leaned down and grabbed her chin with his claws, forcing her face to be locked eye to eye with his own. The sparkling tears in Star's eyes twinkled in the reflective chrome of Vengeance's mask.

"What good are you to Robin, if you can't even take care of yourself without someone to hold your hand?" Vengeance laughed as he released Star's chin and backed away.

Starfire could do nothing but sit and stare with an empty void filling her heart with blackness.

A dark portal appeared behind Vengeance and he slowly turned to make his way into the portal, just like before. Vengeance turned to look back at Starfire sitting there as he smiled sinisterly.

"I see my work here is done, and now it's time I gave the three remaining so called heroes a good talking to, then my dear Terra, its back to business as usual."

To be continued……

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_I tried VERY hard to fix the problems and errors in my first couple chapters. I worked very hard on this story (and I still am) so I hope my hard work is paying off. I'm changing the story up a bit more in certain areas so I can make it work better and I really feel this is going to be a much deeper character based story. Please feel free to send your reviews and comments, I am always looking to improve, bye for now!  
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